Oceania Cruises
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Frustrations with Oceania Cruise: Denied tickets and Payment Discrepancies
I had a frustrating experience with Oceania Cruise and their onshore excursions. I booked a family cruise with Oceania and took advantage of a 25% discount promotion for the excursions. However, I ended up having to pay back the discounted amount of US$1,600 because Oceania refused to issue my cruise tickets. It was our first vacation after the Covid pandemic, and the cruise was a significant part of our month-long trip to Europe. I booked the cruise holiday through my travel agent and the excursions directly on Oceania's website, utilizing the 25% discount offer. As the trip approached, my travel agent informed me that there was an outstanding balance for the excursions, and Oceania wouldn't issue my cruise tickets. However, in my Oceania account, all the excursions were reserved, and no outstanding amount was shown. Despite my travel agent's efforts to resolve the issue, Oceania insisted on the payment. With the deadline for issuing tickets looming and having already made other travel arrangements and paid for the entire vacation, I had no choice but to pay the outstanding amount. During the cruise, I had the chance to review the excursion pamphlet again and noticed the 25% discount offer. When I returned from the holiday, I cross-checked my bank statement and realized that the amount Oceania had charged me back was actually the 25% discount. I promptly contacted my travel agent to communicate with Oceania. It took Oceania two weeks to reply and they refused to reimburse me and instead blamed me for not selecting the discount at checkout. They requested proof, such as a screenshot of the transaction. It was frustrating because Oceania had not provided any payment receipt after the transaction, and they disregarded my credit card statement, which clearly showed the payment at the discounted price. It seemed unreasonable to hold me accountable for not having a screenshot of the transaction. Feeling increasingly frustrated, I contacted Oceania's local office directly to inquire about a possible system glitch. A few weeks later, Oceania gave the same response, refusing to reimburse me and instead questioning why I hadn't resolved the issue before the cruise. Oceania claimed there was no problem with their system. What bothered me was that I had been completely unaware what the discrepancy was until I reread the excursion pamphlet while on the cruise. I reached out to them as soon as I returned from my vacation. If there was genuinely no issue with their system, it raises concerns about their business ethics. They enticed customers with a discount, accepted full payment, and then demanded repayment for the discount before issuing tickets. It left the customer with no choice but to comply. Additionally, Oceania automatically charged my credit card for gratuities, even though they were supposed to be free as part of my booking. Fortunately, we noticed the charge and immediately contacted my travel agent while still on the cruise. Oceania eventually reimbursed us, but only after we pursued the matter upon our return. Oceania offered future onboard credits as compensation, but I'm hesitant to be constantly vigilant and worry about my wallet on another Oceania cruise. Overall, my experience with Oceania Cruise and their onshore excursions was extremely frustrating and disappointing.